The present invention relates to a multi purpose tool suitable for opening valves.
There are many multipurpose tools known in the art, each generally adapted for a different purpose. For example, there are many multi purpose tools known in the carpentry field. However, in the known tools for opening valve structures, there are no known commercially available multi purpose tools which are designed to be portable and readily adaptable for such purposes. Such a tool would be useful for a service workers employed in the public sector such as firemen, natural gas workers, public works workers and the like. Generally, these people must carry a plurality of different tools each one designed to open and close a particular valve structure. As such, this becomes inconvenient and is also a greater expense for the municipality or other organization.
Also, such a multi purpose tool could be useful in an emergency situation where the worker concerned would not normally have a tool for a particular valve structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi purpose tool which is adaptable for use with a number of different valve structures.
As is known in the art, a number of valve structures do not have a handle or other ready means of opening the valve structure, particularly when such valves are accessible by the public. To do otherwise would open up the potential for mischief and potentially dangerous situations such as when natural gas or other flammable products are concerned.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi purpose tool which comprises an outer ring terminating at first and second spaced apart ends, a hub, and a plurality of spokes radiating outwardly from t he hub to said outer ring, an inwardly extending recess formed in the outer ring, the inwardly extending recess being defined by an inwardly extending concave connecting member extending between the first and second spaced apart ring ends, the inwardly concave portion having an outwardly extending protrusion formed thereon, and the outer ring having handle connection means thereon.
The multi purpose tool of the present invention preferably has a handle to provide additional leverage. In the interest of providing maximum flexibility and for storage purposes, the handle is preferably suitably connected to the outer ring and thus can be moved from a first compact storage position wherein it lies against the tool to a second position wherein it is substantially vertical to the ring to a third position wherein it extends outwardly of the ring to provide maximum leverage.
The multipurpose tool may have a number of different apertures sized to receive different valve stems. Preferably, there would be at least three such apertures along with a further opening means defined by the concave connecting member and the outwardly extending protrusion.
The tool may be formed by conventional means of manufacture and is preferably formed of a metallic material.
The valve stems for which the tool is designed to open may vary, but given such a tool suitable for public sector workers, one embodiment provides an arrangement wherein the center aperture is designed to fit the valve stem of fire hydrants while the opening means defined by the inwardly concave connecting member and the protrusion may be utilized to open gas valves and those provided on fire trucks.